Prime Minister Justin Trudeau addresses media following the imposition of a raft of tariffs by U.S. President Donald Trump against Canada, Mexico and China, in Ottawa, Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025. Minister of Public Safety David McGuinty, left to right, Global Affairs Minister Melanie Joly and Minister of Governmental Affairs Dominic LeBlanc look on.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
The federal government has released a list of the goods it will target first in its retaliation against U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau hit back against Trump’s tariffs on Saturday with retaliatory measures that will include immediate tariffs on $30-billion worth of goods, followed by further tariffs on $125 billion worth of American products in 21 days to “allow Canadian companies and supply chains to seek to find alternatives.”
On Sunday, Minister of Finance Dominic LeBlanc announced the first $30 billion in affected goods as of Feb. 4, marking the first phase of Canada’s response. It’s an extensive list, covering everything from skincare to alcohol to clothes and a wide range of food stuffs.
The government will also be launching a process to allow businesses to request exceptional relief from the tariffs.
It came as senior government officials said Canada did not target specific U.S. states, but chose certain goods as they were strategic U.S. exports and that the Canadian tariffs were intended to mobilize key stakeholders and Americans to voice their opinions to Trump.
Officials admitted Republican states likely had more sway with the U.S. president, but that was only one of many factors that went into developing the list of tariffs.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Saturday that her country would also be announcing retaliatory tariffs. Canada’s response was not a coordinated effort with Mexico, officials said, despite Trudeau and Sheinbaum speaking by phone Saturday after the U.S. tariffs were announced.
Export tax on oil not ruled out
Government officials declined to provide economic impact estimates of either set of tariffs, saying the studies would take time to carry out and until Saturday, they had no idea what form the tariffs would take. Trudeau admitted on Feb. 1 that he had been trying to get in touch with Trump since his inauguration — with no luck.
The second list will include products such as cars, trucks, buses, steel and aluminum, aerospace products and fruits and vegetables — and will be released in the coming days. A future export tax on oil has not been ruled out.
Canada’s Border Services Agency will soon be issuing a customs notice to inform importers about how to enforce the tariffs, and help them to understand what they need to do to comply.
The tariffs will not apply to goods in transit, which means that goods that are already en route to Canada won’t be subject to tariffs.
‘Choose products made right here’
In a show of unity, leaders across the political spectrum issued directives to Canadians to buy local.
Get daily National news
Get the day’s top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.
“Now is the time to choose products made right here in Canada,” Trudeau posted Sunday on X. “Check the labels. Let’s do our part. Wherever we can, choose Canada.”
The premiers of Ontario, British Columbia, Manitoba and Newfoundland and Labrador confirmed that U.S. products will be removed from their provincial liquor stores on Tuesday. A full list of those directives is here.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, addressing the country from Vancouver Sunday morning, said “we must put Canada first,” while announcing a wide-ranging plan for retaliation.
“Common sense Conservatives condemn President Trump’s massive, unjust and unjustified tariffs, which will damage both American and Canadian economies,” Poilievre said.
Outlining his own seven-point plan for retaliation on Sunday morning, Poilievre said the government must respond by recalling Parliament, issuing “dollar-for-dollar” tariffs on the U.S., approaching key U.S. states that will be “up for grabs” in the 2026 congressional election, passing an emergency “bring it home” tax cut, boosting interprovincial trade, and rebuilding the military, among other points.
Dollar-for-dollar tariffs should be aimed at “maximizing the impact on American companies while minimizing the impact on Canadian consumers and businesses,” he said.
That meant targeting U.S. products that Canada can do without, that consumers could buy elsewhere, or be manufactured in Canada — such as steel and aluminum, Poilievre said.
Poilievre then said the “tariffs must not be a tax grab,” saying all money gained from tariffs should be put towards a “an immediate, emergency, ‘bring it home’ tax cut.”
He then said Canada must focus on free trade across the country and “knock down interprovincial trade barriers.”
“We sell twice as much to the Americans as we sell to ourselves. These interprovincial barriers are destructive.”
Further, Poilievre said Canada needed to “rebuild our military and to take back control of our borders,” citing illegal immigration and fentanyl overdoses as well as guns coming to Canada from the U.S.
Poilievre’s final point was to approach key U.S. states that will be “up for grabs” ahead of the 2026 congressional election.
“To pressure the administration to back down, we must… let their congressmen and senators know that they will be running on a bad economic record if refinery workers have lost jobs because Canadian oil can no longer make it to them, or if young families can’t buy homes because lumber is even more expensive for home builders, or families that are already suffering from inflation are paying more for gas because our energy has become more expensive due to American tariffs.”
Like Trudeau a day earlier, Poilievre also took the opportunity to address Americans during his speech.
“You are our friends. You are our neighbours. We share the longest undefended border in the history of the world. You buy our products and we buy yours,” Poilievre said.
Are you going to buy Canadian? What are your go-to Canadian products to replace American ones? Let us know. We may use it in a future story or contact you to discuss further.
Poilievre: ‘We are already in a trade war’
Asked at what point the Canada-U.S. relationship would be beyond repair, Poilievre said: “Our friendship with the Americans is not based on any one politician. It is based on our centuries long history of trade, a friendship of common defence, of fighting on the battlefield, arms locked together against common enemies.”
He also stated that he believed Canada was “already in a trade war” that “no one will win.”
Earlier on Sunday, Trump again blasted Canada and other trade partners on social media.
He repeated his claims that the U.S. pays “hundreds of billions of dollars” to subsidize Canada, and once again suggested Canada should become part of the U.S.
“We don’t need anything they have. We have unlimited Energy, should make our own Cars, and have more Lumber than we can ever use. Without this massive subsidy, Canada ceases to exist as a viable Country. Harsh but true! Therefore, Canada should become our Cherished 51st State. Much lower taxes, and far better military protection for the people of Canada — AND NO TARIFFS!”
During Poilievre’s address, the Conservative Leader once again railed against the idea of Canada becoming the “51st state,” saying Canada is “independent and we are a proud nation. And we will come through this as an independent and a proud sovereign nation.”
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Trudeau said Canada’s response “will be far reaching and include everyday items such as American beer, wine and bourbon, fruits and fruit juices, including orange juice, along with vegetables, perfume, clothing and shoes.
